UN steps in to help survivors of sexual violence in DRC to recover economically
Goma, DRC (PANA) - Before the recent escalation of conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which caused an explosion of sexual violence, the United Nations had developed a programme to help survivors of such violence recover economically.
In 2024, the UN provided support to train women who had suffered sexual violence in the Bulengo displaced persons camp in Goma, the main city in North Kivu province, in dress making.
The UN provided them with sewing machines to help them recover economically as part of a resilience project aimed at empowering vulnerable people to provide for their families.
This project was implemented by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
Naomie Kianga, whose name has been changed to preserve her dignity, was one of the beneficiaries of this training in cutting and sewing, a correspondent of UN News in DRC reported.
She recounts the tragic event she endured following the clashes between the Congolese army and the March 23 Movement (M23) rebellion.
“I am here from Masisi - Nyamitaba. We fled the M23 war and the gunshots. People died, we ran towards Bulengo. Our relatives died before our eyes. My cousin was shot in the leg,” she explains, with tears in her eyes.
During her life as a displaced person, Naomie Kianga says she was raped, along with five other women, while they were looking for firewood in the forests, about 4 kilometers from their camp.
"Because of the hunger here in the camp, we went to the forest to collect firewood with five other mothers. We arrived there and met unknown bandits. That's how we were raped," she recalls.
In addition to medical care, Naomie Kianga says she received support for her training in cutting and sewing and a donation of a sewing machine with accessories. This allows her to support her family, thanks to the little money she earns from this profession in the Bulengo camp in Goma.
"We learned how to sew clothes and we were each given a sewing machine and accessories so that we could provide for our families. It was WFP that helped us with the sewing machines," she explains.
But all this was before the M23 offensive in North Kivu, marked by the capture of Goma at the end of January, then of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, forcing hundreds of thousands of already displaced civilians to flee.
Before the conflict flared up, Naomie Kianga had launched an appeal to WFP on behalf of other displaced and unemployed women. She asked for training support for other vulnerable people who are going through difficult living conditions: “Help train other women and girls, so that they can be independent like us.”
She also asked the UN to strengthen its support for the government to restore security in eastern DRC: "Our message to the United Nations is to support our country even more to restore peace."
-0- PANA MA 5March2025
